Communion on the Moon - Buzz Aldrin

by Bill Carrell

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first men to walk on the moon in the Apollo 11
space mission. Michael Collins third member of the group, was in charge of the command
module, essential for their return to earth, which circled the moon while Armstrong and
Aldrin landed. The moon lander touched down at 3:17 Eastern Standard Time, Sunday, July
20, 1969.

Aldrin had brought with him a tiny communion kit, given him by his church, that had a
silver chalice and wine vial about the size of the tip of his finger. During the morning
he radioed, "Houston, this is Eagle. This is the LM pilot speaking. I would like to
request a few moments of silence. I would like to invite each person listening in, whoever
or wherever he may be, to contemplate for a moment the events of the last few hours, and
to give thanks in his own individual way."

"In the radio blackout," he wrote later, "I opened the little plastic
packages which contained the bread and the wine. I poured the wine into the chalice our
church had given me. In the one-sixth gravity of the moon, the wine slowly curled and
gracefully came up the side of the cup. Then I read the Scripture, 'I am the vine, you are
the branches. Whosoever abides in me will bring forth much fruit.' I had intended to read
my communion passage back to earth, but at the last minute Deke Slayton had requested that
I not do this. NASA was already embroiled in a legal battle with Madelyn Murray O'Hare,
the celebrated opponent of religion, over the Apollo 8 crew reading from Genesis while
orbiting the moon at Christmas. I agreed reluctantly..." "Eagle's metal body
creaked. I ate the tiny Host and swallowed the wine. I gave thanks for the intelligence
and spirit that had brought two young pilots to the Sea of Tranquility. It was
interesting for me to think: the very first liquid ever poured on the moon, and the very
first food eaten there, were the communion elements."